Mr. Auriol, and prove what handsome budgeros I gave the company:  were not they elegantly painted, beautifully gilt, charming and commodious?  I made use of them as long as I had occasion; and though they are little worse for wear, and would hardly suffer the least percentage deduction from prime cost upon them, I gave them to the company.  Oh, I did not put the money into my own pocket.  I provided for myself and wore a suit of lace clothes, when I was Jew bail for some of this company:  it will turn, for it is hardly the worse for wear, though I appeared two or three times, in different characters, as bail for you on such and such an occasion.  I therefore set off these items against this money which I gained by swindling on your account.  It is true I also picked such a one’s pocket of a watch; here it is; I have worn it as long as it was convenient; now I give the watch to the company, and let them send it to the pawnbroker for what it will bring.  Besides all this, I maintained aide-de-camps for you, and gave them house-rent.” (By the way, my Lords, what sort of aide-de-camps were these?  Who made him a military man, and to have such a legion of aide-de-camps?) “But,” says he, “I paid house-rent for them; that is, in other words, I paid, at night-cellars and houses in Saint Giles’s, sixpence a week for some of the gang.” (This, my Lords, is the real spirit of the whole proceeding, and more especially of the last item in it.) “Then,” says he, “I was the gang’s schoolmaster, and taught lessons on their account.  I founded a Mahometan school.” (Your Lordships have already heard something of this shameful affair, of this scene of iniquity,—­I think of such iniquity as the world never yet had to blush at.) “I founded a Mahometan college for your use; and I bore the expense of it from September, 1780, when I placed a professor there, called Mudjed-o-Din.”—­This Mudjed-o-Din was to perfect men, by contract, in all the arts and sciences, in about six months; and the chief purpose of the school was, as Mr. Hastings himself tells you, to breed theologians, magistrates, and moulavies, that is to say, judges and doctors of law, who were to be something like our masters in chancery, the assessors of judges, to assist them in their judgments.  Such was the college founded by Mr. Hastings, and he soon afterwards appropriated one of the Company’s estates, (I am speaking of matters of public notoriety,) worth 3,000_l._ a year, for its support.  Heaven be praised, that Mr. Hastings, when he was resolved to be pious and munificent, and to be a great founder, chose a Mahometan rather than a Christian foundation, so that our religion was not disgraced by such a foundation!

Observe how he charges the expense of the foundation to the Company twice over.  He first makes them set aside an estate of 3,000_l._ a year for its support.  In what manner this income was applied during Mr. Hastings’s stay in India no man living knows; but we know, that, at his departure, one of the last acts he did was to desire it should be put into the hands of Mudjed-o-Din.  He afterwards, as you have seen, takes credit to himself with the Company for the expenses relative to this college.